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We notice that many Japanese schools that did not require uniforms, did have the children wear standardized caps. Headwear was thus an anomaly--a uniform item worn at a non-uniform school. Here the style of the caps varied. We notice that turned down swabie caps were a popular style. I'm not sure what these caps were called in Japanese. we also notice baseball caps being worn. Colors varies. Brightly colored caps were often required for younger children to make them nore visible to motorists. Most schools only required the bright colors for the younger children, but the older children at some schools also wore them. We note many schools requiring blue caps. There were several other cap styles and even a rounded crown hat that were worn, but these styles seem more common at schools requiring uniforms.
We notice that many Japanese schools that did not require uniforms, did have the children wear standardized headwear. This was dome largely as a safety measure, especially when the children were walking to school. Standardized headwear also helped to manage the chilren at evenhts kike field trips away from school. They are also somewhat useful in inclement weather, but we do not believe tht these wrre the porimry purpose for school headwear.
Boys and girls wore the same headwear styles at both uniform and non-uniform schools, although some styles were mostly worn at uniform schools. There were gender conventions for many of these styles. We notice both hats and caps, although capa were the most common. This has changed over time. Boys mostly wore cadet caps in the early-20th century, even with traditional clothing. Girls might wear sailor hayts, but this seems less common than the boys's cadet caps. We also see army caps. Through World War II, children if they wore Western clothing generally wire unifirms. The picture becomes more complicated after the War. We note a wide range of hats and caos. The hats were odten rounded-crown hats with narrow brims. These hhat were done in various styles and material. These hts were most common for girls, but younger boys also wore them. This style, however, seems more common with unifioms. We see bow wearing a soft hat, We are more just what to call this style, perhapos a turned-down swabie hat. They were done in various colors. Baseball caps became very common for boys, but girls also wore them. They also were done in many colors, including bright colors. Bright colors were a safety feature, a useful feature gioven the ge of the children. We also note berets, but they are less common than baseball caps. And they seem more common for girls than boys. Peaked caps were worn, but this was another style more common at uniform schools.
We see Japanese primary school children wearing both brightly cilored and plain-colored headwear to schhool. Here age was a factor. Brightly colored caps were often required for younger children to make them more visible, especially to motorists. Mosr Japanese primary children walk to school. Most schools only required the bright colors for the younger children, but the older children at some schools also wore them. Not all scholls had brightly colored headwear, but many did. We also see a range of plain colors like black, blue, cream, and tan.
While the non-uniform schools by definition do not have uniforms, as far as we can tell, the schools often choose uniform styles for the headwear. Hiven the number of schools in Japan, it would seem likely that at least some schools klet the parents decoded, perhaps desgnating a color, but we have not yet found examples. The choice of headwear This appears to be a safty and security measure. By requiring a uniform cap, the school can ensure the safty and security measures decided on can be instantly and fully complied with by the parents. A the headwear is iften brightly colored, the children are more easily seen by motirists when walking to school. And because of the uniform colors the children cn eily be identfied by school. his is epecially helpful on school trips. Various headwearstyles are selected by the non-uniform schools which incude the same styles selected by the uniform chools, but brightly colored baseball caps seem especially popular.
We note school hedwear with chinstraps and streamers. Chinstraps are especially common in Japn. As far as we know this is the only country where this is the case. Most headwear styles are available with chinstraps, although not all may have them. As far as we know only berets do not have them. The various styls of hats and caps do commonly come with them. And we see many children usung them. The schools may even have rules about this. Some mothers may also insist. Not all children actually use them even though they are in their caps and hats. Many younger children do, although the older children often do not unless the school insists. The ways the caps and hats are constructed, the child can easily choose not to use his chinstrap once he is away from hoe or school. We also see a few hats with streamers. This unlike the chin straps is not very common, but we have both noted examples.
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